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Seamstresses Stitch a Sun-Sh
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| Title |
Seamstresses Stitch a Sun-Shade for Skylab |
| Full Description |
Two seamstresses stitch together a sun-shade for the Skylab Orbital Workshop, the first United States Experimental space station in orbit, which lost its thermal protection shield during the launch on May 14, 1973. Without the heat shield, the temperature inside the Orbital Workshop became dangerously high, rendering the workshop uninhabitable and threatening the interior insulation and adhesive to deteriorate. Marshall engineers and scientists worked tirelessly around the clock to develop an emergency repair procedure. The Skylab crew and the repair kits were launched just 11 days after the incident. The crew successfully deployed the twin-pole sail parasol sun-shade during their EVA (Extravehicular Activity) the next day. |
| Date |
5/1/1973 |
| NASA Center |
Marshall Space Flight Center |
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Skylab and Earth Limb
| Title |
Skylab and Earth Limb |
| Full Description |
An overhead view of the Skylab Orbital Workshop in Earth orbit as photographed from the Skylab 4 Command and Service Modules (CSM) during the final fly-around by the CSM before returning home. The space station is contrasted against the pale blue Earth. During launch on May 14, 1973, some 63 seconds into flight, the micrometeor shield on the Orbital Workshop (OWS) experienced a failure that caused it to be caught up in the supersonic air flow during ascent. This ripped the shield from the OWS and damaged the tie downs that secured one of the solar array systems. Complete loss of one of the solar arrays happened at 593 seconds when the exhaust plume from the S-II's separation rockets impacted the partially deployed solar array system. Without the micrometeoroid shield that was to protect against solar heating as well, temperatures inside the OWS rose to 126 degrees fahrenheit. The gold "parasol" clearly visible in the photo, was designed to replace the missing micrometeoroid shield, protecting the workshop against solar heating. The replacement solar shield was deployed by the Skylab I crew. This enabled the Skylab Orbital Workshop to fulfill all its mission objects serving as home to additional crews before being deorbited in 1978. |
| Date |
02/08/1974 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
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Skylab Solar Shield
| Title |
Skylab Solar Shield |
| Full Description |
A sail like sunshade for possible use as a sunscreen for the Skylab Orbital Workshop (OWS) is shown being fabricated in the GE Building across the street from Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas. Three people help the steamstress feed the material through the sewing machine. The three-layered sunshade will be composed of a top layer of aluminized mylar, a middle layer of laminated nylon ripstop, and a bottom layer of thin nylon. Working on the sunshade are from left to right: Dale Gentry, Elizabeth Gauldin, Alyene Baker, and James H. Barnett Jr. Mrs. Baker, a GE employee, operates the double needle Singer sewing machine. Barnett is head of the Crew Equipment Development Section of JSC Crew Systems Division. Mrs. Gauldin is also with the Crew Systems Division. Gentry works for GE. The work shown here is part of the crash program underway to prepare a sunshield for Skylab to replace the orginal shield which was lost when Skylab 1 was launched on May 14, 1973. The improvised solar shield selected to be used will be carried to Earth orbit by the Skylab 2 crewman who will then deploy the reflective parasol to shade part of the OWS from the hot rays of the sun. Loss of the orginal sun shield has caused an overheating problem. in the Orbital Work Shop. |
| Date |
01/01/1973 |
| NASA Center |
Headquarters |
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Emergency Sun-Shade for Skyl
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| Name of Image |
Emergency Sun-Shade for Skylab Orbital Workshop |
| Date of Image |
1973-05-21 |
| Full Description |
Two seamstresses stitch together a sun-shade for Skylab Orbital Workshop (OWS), the first U.S. experimental space station in orbit, which lost its thermal protection shield during the launch on May 14, 1973. Without the heat shield, the temperature inside the Orbital Workshop became dangerously high, rendering the workshop uninhabitable and threatened deterioration of the interior insulation and adhesive. Engineers and scientists at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) worked tirelessly around the clock on the emergency repair procedure. The Skylab crew and the repair kits were launched just 11 days after the incident. The crew successfully deployed the twin-pole sail parasol sun-shade during their EVA (Extravehicular Activity) the next day. |
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Skylab-3 Mission Onboard Pho
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| Name of Image |
Skylab-3 Mission Onboard Photograph - Skylab with a Twin-Pole Sunshield |
| Date of Image |
1973-01-01 |
| Full Description |
Shortly after liftoff on May 14, 1973, atmospheric drag tore off the thin metallic shield of Skylab that was designed to protect her from micro-meteorites and the Sun's intense heat. The Skylab-2 crew deployed a parasol sunshield to protect the orbiting laboratory. Concern over the possibility that materials used for the parasol would deteriorate with prolonged exposure to the Sun's rays prompted the installation of a second sunshield during the Skylab-3 mission. This time, the crew exited the space station and installed a twin-pole device to position the shield over the parasol. This photograph was taken by the Skylab-4 mission. |
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Illustration of the Skylab P
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| Name of Image |
Illustration of the Skylab Parasol Thermal Shield Deployment |
| Date of Image |
1973-01-01 |
| Full Description |
This image illustrates the deployment of the Skylab parasol thermal shield. Skylab lost its thermal protection shield during its launch on May 14, 1973. The Skylab-2 crew deployed a parasol thermal shield to protect the workshop from overheating. The crew attached the canister containing the parasol to the scientific airlock and extended the folded shield through the opening and into space. Slowly, the struts extended and the sunshade took shape and was in place over the workshop's outer surface. This illustration shows the parasol at partial extension. Emergency procedures to repair and salvage the damaged Skylab were a joint effort of the Marshall Space Flight Center, other NASA centers, and contractors. |
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Illustration of the Skylab P
…
| Name of Image |
Illustration of the Skylab Parasol Thermal Shield Deployment |
| Date of Image |
1973-01-01 |
| Full Description |
This image illustrates the deployment of the Skylab parasol thermal shield. Skylab lost its thermal protection shield during its launch on May 14, 1973. The Skylab-2 crew deployed a parasol thermal shield to protect the workshop from overheating. The crew attached the canister containing the parasol to the scientific airlock and extended the folded shield through the opening and into space. Slowly, the struts extended, the sunshade took shape, and was in place over the workshop's outer surface. This illustration shows the parasol being fully deployed and retracted for service. Emergency procedures to repair and salvage the damaged Skylab were a joint effort of the Marshall Space Flight Center, other NASA centers, and contractors. |
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